A selfless Nottingham teacher who will never walk again after a horrific crash has been hailed as a hero.

Chris Toon, a music teacher at Nottingham High School, made a split second decision to steer his motorbike into a ditch to avoid ploughing into a group of cyclists in the road.

His actions on the B5324 on June 11 have left him paralysed from the chest down.

Speaking for the first time, while still recovering in hospital, the 32-year-old has described the moments leading up to the crash.

He said: “I was heading towards Melton Mowbray, I was coming up to a blind bend so I slowed down but as I slowed down my back wheel skidded and it started to fish tail.

“I was then dragged onto the other side of the road, as soon as I got round the corner there were about 12 cyclists there in front of me so I decided in about a second because that was all I had, to go into the ditch.

“I flung myself into the ditch and my bike actually went over the hedge.”

Nottingham High School music teacher Chris Toon before his horrific crash

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Chris then fell down a 30 foot drop through branches, rocks and trees until he landed at the bottom where he noticed that he couldn’t feel his legs.

He said: “I couldn’t feel my legs and I actually felt my back snap when I was falling down. I just remember the cyclists coming to help me and saying thank you that I chose not to crash into them.

“I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I hurt someone else.”

Chris was airlifted to Coventry hospital where he underwent major spinal surgery, one week later he was transferred to QMC where he had a further operation to put eight pins and two rods in his back to brace his vertebrae.

He is now recovering and dealing with the fact he is paralysed from the chest down at Sheffield Spinal Rehabilitation Unit.

Mr Toon, who is a saxophone, clarinet and flute teacher at Nottingham High School, is hoping to leave rehab in October but he still needs funding for at least one specialist wheelchair and to make major changes to his newly bought home in Chaddesden.

Nottingham High School

A crowd funding page has been set up by Chris’ friend Rachel Richardson which has so far raised £11,895 to help Chris afford a specialist wheel chair.

Rachel Richardson, 41, an area leader for music development is a close colleague of Chris’ and described his decision to throw himself into a ditch to save the lives of others as heroic.

She said: “He is so inspirational. As a teacher he is inspirational and the kids he teaches miss him massively and everyone who has him as a teacher doesn’t ever want to have anyone else.

“He has such an impact on kids, and they all want to be just like him. His favourite word is groovy.”

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Chris does not have any close family members but his pupils have been sending him videos of them practicing in the hope that he returns to teach them soon.

He said: “It has been such a help to my psyche to have friends, pupils and colleagues giving me this support.

“It has been a very emotional time for me and I have realised it is the little things that mean so much. The cards I get and the messages from students are all helping me to want to get back to teach them.”

Mr Toon broke more than 30 bones in the crash and punctured both lungs as well as becoming paralysed.

His positive attitude has been an inspiration to his pupils who have all found ways to try and raise money for him.

Fund raising events have included cake sales, tea parties, concerts and marathons all to help the costs of Chris’ recovery once he leaves rehabilitation.

Chris hopes to return to music teaching in the future although he hasn’t played since his accident.

He said: “I still have both arms so I will be able to have my future in music. I have always had a drive to help kids succeed and now I want to get back to them and help them again.

“They keep telling me they miss me and I have about 100 cards in my room from them. Music is my family and I need to get back to that, I can’t give up that life.”